Race to the VCard
by WhoJackman
Summary: Smash and Tim make a bet in the locker room, the first one to Julie's V-card wins. What will happen? Who will be the victor? Co-authored, WhoJackman and Lilianthevalley.
1. Smash gets Stomped

Julie Taylor was in a mood that could only be called apocalyptic. There was a dark cloud the size of Mount Rushmore over her head and her eyes screamed, don't come near me or I'll kick your ass. Even the Coach knew not to move within a diameter of her. Her entry into the supermarket was purely intent driven, there was something she needed and there was no way someone was going to waylay her. Her walk was straight legged, long paced and extremely focussed on her task. Customers of the store moved out of the way like the parting of the Red Sea. She was unstoppable and everyone could sense it. She marched to the aisle and grabbed the box that she so sorely needed, turned around and ran straight into a man made wall of muscle.

"Juuu-leeee Tayyyylorrr, what are you doing with your fine self this day?" Julie's looked up into Smash's face with utter disdain, he obviously didn't read the signs very well. She sighed, someone that self-involved, why was she surprised. She was not going to pander to him rally girl-style, she wanted him gone and there was one sure way she knew how to achieve that.

Julie looked up into his dark, smiling face, she appreciated that he was a really attractive guy but the fact that he knew it put her off completely.

"My fine self needed to pick up some necessaries," she spoke really slow, real condescending and nodded the entire time. He obviously did not realise which aisle he was in. He didn't take his eyes off her, or should she say her breasts.

"Smash can be your necessary," he was talking in third person, who actually does that? He chuckled to himself, obviously thinking that his pun was side-splittingly funny. She just wanted to sucker punch him in the guts.

"I don't think so. Smash ain't all that cluey," she retorted the bite definitely back in her words. Customers floated past giving her a wide berth, Smash still oblivious to the undercurrents emitting from her.

"Well Ju-leee," her teeth grated together as he continued to say her name in that drawn out way "Smash is very cluey. Smash senses that Ju-leee wants him to take her out on the town," he cocked his head, beamed out a smile and looked for encouragement from passersby. It was then that he took in his environment. The brightly coloured, tiny boxes espousing different sizes and purposes. His gaze zipped back and forth as he took in the many feminine hygiene products on the shelves. His face flushed as he realised that she hadn't been kidding she really didn't want company. In fact looking at her with clearer eyes he realised she was standing with an open stance, her hands on her hips, her eyes shooting fire and a box in her hand. Julie watched with bitter amusement as Smash's realisation of where they were standing hit him full force.

"Well Smash, all Ju-leee feels like doing is crawling into bed, eating ice cream and bitching out any guy that comes with ten feet of her okay?" Julie could not have made it any clearer.

"Your bed or mine? Ice cream is always fun," she looked at him in utter disbelief. He had mentally shrugged off the implications of the aisle, the box in her hand and her foul mood. Coach had a lot of explaining to do, how do you coach such a dunderhead? He grinned at her, his bright white teeth almost blinding her. Now she was even more pissed off.

"No Smash, I would never, ever, consider going out with such an ignoramus as you. You see, Ju-leee," she condescendingly brought her hands to her chest to ensure he knew who she was talking about "is in the midst of a visit from a raging bitch called Aunt Flo," Smash's face moved slightly. He was obviously confused but the smile stayed up. "Ju-leee needs you to back the hell off and let me do my thing. Okay, Smash?" she took a step around him and a hand grabbed her upper arm. He just wouldn't give up, persistence wasn't always a good thing.

"So what time do you want Smash to pick you up?" she roared, not an exaggeration, all her frustrations let loose from her mouth as a roar. She pushed his arm off, threw the box of Tampax at his chest, swiped another off the shelf and stormed back down the aisle towards the ice cream freezer. Smash stood there watching her stalk away. He remembered the object that he caught on his chest and looked down, it was a Tampax box. He dropped it in surprise. Then the rush of stupidness hit him and he questioned where he'd left his brain. One thing was for sure though, Julie Taylor was one saucy minx when she was angry like that. Smash wanted her. He wanted her bad.

Smash always won. It was what he did. If Matt Saracen couldn't go all the way, he could. He knew how to get it done. On and off the field. So when he'd bumped into Julie Taylor, he brought it. Maybe it had ended on a sour note, being you know, accosted with a box of Poise panty liners or something like that.

Smash walked into the locker room, "Guess who's about to bang your chick," he said to Matt, looking all smug. He caught eyes with Riggins who was looking back at him with an expression that read, What the hell? Just about everybody was looking at Smash with that same expression. Smash decided to break the silence with a, "Me."

Matt, in one of those voices he had which contained a mix of humility, laugher and disgust, asked, "What chick?" Smash decided he might as well put him out of his misery, "Miss Juu-lee Taylor." he had a smirk plastered across his face.

"How much do you wanna bet I get her V-Card?" Smash asked, looking directly at Matt. Smash's glance moved to the side and he saw that Tim Riggins was laughing at him. Smash gestured at him saying, "I'd get it way before The Drunk."

"Oh really?" a random red head asked, with only a towel around his waste, "I got fifty on Riggs." Smash hadn't intended on some sort of gambling stake with him snatching up the coach's daughter's virginity.

"Well, I talked her up in the shampoo aisle," Smash said, improvising, because Shampoo was better then Tampax, "And she practically gave me a lap dance." He was glad Coach Taylor was in his office, man was he glad.

Matt was just standing there, wondering what to say, as Riggins asked, "What would be in it for me?" Smash laughed and happily described the terms of the bet he'd cooked up in the past ten minutes, "If you can get her virginity before me," and then Riggins laughed, "Why would I want to do that?" Taking the coach's daughter's virginity? Yeah, he could do without the gruelling punishment from the Coach.

"Well, if you can do it... I show up to class naked." Smash said, thinking this would be his gift to the world, "And if you don't, you show up to class naked." Smash had no idea why anybody wanted to see Tim's junk. Tim laughed at this, he couldn't help himself. "You're on." He didn't think about it until after he agreed. This was a no win situation.

**Authors Note** – _This is a joint effort, co-authored story by Lily and __myself__. We are posting under my profile but we are working on this together. Lily has been working under the profile name __lillianthevalley__ and has __a great stores__ if you'd like to check them out. We are having fun and hope you do too reading it! This is a truly cross-continental effort, Aussie and Canuck coming together for the benefit of all __Tulie__ fans._


	2. Diss and That

**Chapter 2**

A few days later Julie was seated on her double bed, legs stretched out while Lois painted her toe nails. They were fire engine red, she wiggled her toes, they looked saucy and troublesome, and everything she thought she wasn't. Lois flicked her pinkie toe with her thumb and forefinger annoyed that Julie was making her beautifying job more difficult.

Lois paused and looked at Julie. "Have you noticed anything weird in the halls this week?" Julie stopped wriggling and looked at Lois. A perplexed look on her face.

"Now that you mention it, the players have been like, looking at me and stuff. Not perving exactly but watching and sniggering. I am beginning to get a little paranoid," Julie thought over what she said and knew she wasn't being paranoid, it was definitely happening and she didn't like it. She didn't like footballers and she didn't like footballers taking an interest in her.

Lois looked at Julie, examining her friend's face. "I heard at school that Smash has being saying you were all over him at the supermarket. I heard something about a pole dance but I didn't know what they were meaning." Julie's head snapped up and her eyes immediately glowed with the thoughts of killing Smash.

"He said what?" she was going to kill him. How the hell did yelling and throwing a box of tampons become pole dancing?

"He came up to me, tried some lame ass line on me and got shut down. Now he's trying to reclaim some pride or something I guess. I am going to kick his ass though," Julie sounded definite and Lois was actually a little scared for Smash and the rest of the football season.

Lois tried to bring some levity to the conversation, "You know he's actually a really good looking guy, you could definitely go out with him. He'd be heaps of fun to hang out with." Julie looked at Lois sceptically, her toes well and truly dried.

"I would have to see a whole other side to Smash to even consider going anywhere with him. I mean he's being spreading crappy rumours about me worshipping at his temple throughout the school. What could I really get out of Smash?"

Lois grinned evilly "Some touch time with some awesome abs and a granite ass," Julie snorted. Lois looked at her with shock and they both dissolved into a puddle of giggles.

"Granite ass, where did you pull that crap from Lois?" Julie spluttered.

"Hey I am alive, I notice these things." Lois defended herself. "Have you seen Riggins' lately?" Her hand waved in front of her face like she was on heat.

Julie face turned to one of mock innocence. She assumed a Southern accent and fluttered her hands at her chest like a true belle "Why me? Poor ole innocent me? Why would I, perchance to see a gentleman's buttocks. I am a lady,"

They fell into another pile of giggling, Julie's anger at Smash temporarily forgotten.

"Besides," Julie added in her normal voice, "looking is better. Would you really want to have an actual conversation with Smash or Riggins? They have an IQ of a pet rock and the personality of a toe clipping. I have no interest in footballers, with an exception to their gluteus maximus'." With that the girls turned their attention to their fingernails and the fine attributes of Channing Tatum.

/ - / - /

If Julie Taylor had known what was riding on her virginity she would have been shocked. And then, later with Tyra or Lois, she might've laughed about Tim Riggins or Smash Williams showing up naked to class. There was no way she'd ever sleep with either of them, no matter what rumours were being trafficked around Dillon High School about the now infamous run in at the grocery store. Besides, she strongly suspected they would have HIV or the Clap.

But Julie Taylor didn't know, so when Julie dropped a book she wasn't surprised to see it had been picked up by a baller. When this happened she couldn't help but groan. Why was Tim Riggins helping her? She glared at him and said in an icy tone, "Thank you." She turned to see three football players gawking at her. She hadn't given Smash some sort of strip tease, and she sure as hell wasn't going to give one to Riggins.

"So... Hemingway... huh..." Tim said, looking at the cover of The Sun Also Rises.

"Listen, I don't care if you play football. You shower with other guys." Julie said, smirking. This comment wouldn't have been so bad, Tim would have maybe even found it humorous if Smash hadn't come up behind him, laughed, and then walked away. "Okay, what's with you guys walking around and staring at me, all the time?" Julie sighed, "Did my dad show you guys some embarrassing photos?" there was no other explanation, but Julie Taylor didn't want to hear it anyway. She just started to walk away, rolling her eyes at the boys.

She wasn't aware Tim was fallowing her. And she'd never know, because he stopped when she walked into the dreaded library. He hadn't been in since one of his literary romps with Tyra. Literary romps, well that was one way to phrase making out in the library.

When Smash walked by Julie Taylor she had been doing what he'd expected she'd do. Diss the drunken, dead weight of a player. Though, the diss Julie gave Tim applied to him too, that didn't matter much to him. All that mattered was that he was winning. That was all that ever mattered. As he walked into the lunchroom, he decided to get a candy bar. Carmilk, to be specific. As he put the dollar twenty five into the vending machine, he saw Lyla Garrity walk by. She looked good.

"Hey Miss Garrity..."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 – To bite or not to bite...**

Tim walked into the caf and spotted a very attractive Lyla Garrity talking to Smash. Did Smash know that since she's joined the Christian Brigade she was abstaining harder then a pregnant Mormon? If Smash wasn't talking to her for that reason, had Lyla initiated the conversation as a ploy to make him jealous? Whatever, they were so done it wasn't even funny. He was sick of being second best to Jason, to cheerleading or to any of her other stupid church crap. He didn't even believe in god.

As he saw Julie he looked back at Smash, who grinned like Heath Ledger. Tim sighed and got into earshot of Julie and a girl with a big red zit on her forehead, Julie was saying, "Nobody notices it, Lo." and smiling empathetically. Tim pulled out a chair and sat in it, receiving a quizzical glance, as well as a glare that portrayed hate.

"Hey guys," he said, pulling out a brown paper bag. Julie and the girl exchanged looks, "I'm Tim..." Tim said to her, getting an even more intimidating glare then before, and the girl introduced herself as Lois.

"So... is there anything we can help you with?" Julie asked. Tim smiled at this question. He'd done his homework. He pulled out a flyer, which said Dillon High's New Book Club! His grin didn't fade.

"I'd like to join. It says to contact you." He pointed to the bottom of the letter. Julie groaned.

"It says to contact me or Landry..." her eyes rolled up, "Wouldn't you rather talk to the one that's, you know, your friend?"

It said that the first book they'd be reading was called Blonde, which he suspected would be boring. But he pretended to be enthused at the thought. Then he heard a certain Southern belle's voice, "Hey Tim." Tyra sat down across from him. This was going to be awkward.

"He was just leaving." Julie said, grinning at him. "See you at book club Tim." she gave him an exaggerated wave before he got up. Tyra joined in, but Lois looked at him, smiling.

Lois bid him a, "See you later," as he left .

/-/-/

Matt Saracen watched this all unfolding from his spot across the caf. When the bet has been brought up in the locker room that day he had immediately felt ill, his stomach churning and the bile rising up his throat. Sure Julie had dumped his sorry ass for a greasy, bong smoking, sorry ass but she didn't deserve any of this. It was going to end badly, he could taste it.

He looked at her mocking Riggins and the giggles she exchanged with Lois after Riggins had shuffled off. Matt could feel the momentum of the bet speeding them along, propelling them all down a hill and Julie was going to be the big casualty. What is said in the locker room stays in the locker room. But did he really want Julie, who had stressed about the virginity issue with him (the guy she had loved) to lose it in the process of a bet unknowingly? He had to tell her. His team would kill him. He couldn't tell her. Maybe he should sit back, wait and see what happens. If Riggins or Smash looked like they might be successful he would step in, no matter what the guys would say or do. Somehow he couldn't see Smash or Riggins achieving their goal but Matt knew never to discount a Panther's determination.

/-/-/

Julie Taylor was unsure as to why she was receiving so much attention but the initial paranoia dissolved once she realised how much fun it could be to be the centre of attention. Sure Smash and Tim were leaders of the football team and great players but what had she done to warrant such attention? Riggins joining the book club? It was beyond ridiculous, everyone knew he couldn't read or that was the rumour anyway. Smash, well Smash liked talking about himself too much to be really interested in anyone else. Book Club would be an interesting experience that's for sure.

/-/-/

The Dillion High Book Club met the next week in the library. The small group of students were seated in a circle, facing one another, the book situated on their laps.

"Welcome to the first meeting of the Dillon High Book Club, we would like to thank you all for attending," Landry had assumed the role of host. "This month's book is the novel Blonde..." Landry was interrupted when Riggins strode into the room and hurriedly sat down. He swept one of his lank locks of hair behind an ear and most of the girls sighed. Julie was surprised to see the novel in his hands.

"...and as you all know this book is about Marilyn Monroe. Authored by Joyce Carol Oates it delves into the life of one of America's cultural icons." Landry paused. Julie rolled her eyes at the introduction, clearly he'd spent some time trawling the 'net.

Julie decided to intervene. "So what did people think about our choice?" Riggins raised his hand. Julie smothered a laugh "Tim you don't need to raise you hand."

"I thought it was way too long." The girls in the group tittered, Lois was one of them. She kicked her.

"Okay, then thanks for that observation." Julie was less than impressed. "What do you," she threw it out to the other members "think about the various loves in her life, the symbolism of Oates giving them labels," The group looked at her blankly and she stifled a sigh.

"I find it interesting that she would hook up with someone like The Playwright. She had nothing in common with the guy. He was entranced by her," a group member simplified it. Riggins nodded, seeming to follow the summary. He jumped in –

"Yeah but opposites attract, here we have this real intellectual type who's a bit stuffy," he looked at her and she couldn't help but read between the lines "and then there is this free, street wise, "whirling light" didn't he say? Opposites attract, they create fireworks. It may fizzle in the end, but the fireworks are worth it, aren't they?" He smiled at her.

"Maybe Arthur wanted more." Julie pointed out.

"Maybe, but you never know if you don't try," he left it hanging like a dare "would you dare take the bite?" Yep, it was definitely a dare.

**Author's Note:** Thanks from Lilly and Adele for all the support guys (and gals)!


	4. Sweatin' the Small Stuff

**Chapter 4**** – ****Saracen Speaks...Some**

Matt had been talking to Landry and had heard that Riggins had turned up to Julie's book club having read the book and made some valid points. He sensed these were signs of the apocalypse. Surely hail and brimstone would fall from the sky and the rivers would be awash with blood. But that didn't happen. In fact Hell froze over and Julie's interest was peaked, he could tell. She'd follow Riggins with casual intermittent glances around the room. He knew because he was a Julie expert. She started twirling her torso ever so much as she stood and talked to #33 and her smiles could restore the sight of a blind man. He sighed, he was going to have to say something, Riggins' attempt at the intellectual route seemed to be taking a hold. Smash on the other hand had been swanning around like one of those tools from Gladiators. Matt ignored the stab of jealousy that took hold and decided to act in Julie's best interests...and perhaps his own.

Matt waited until after class, approaching her with taunt nerves and a stutter in his back pocket.

"Juuuu-julie could I have a minute?" he touched her arm lightly and drew her away from the hubbub of the crowded hall. He faced her and went completely blank. She was oh so pretty and she was dancing in a field of landmines. How could he say this so that he wasn't actually ratting out the team?

Julie looked at him blankly waiting for him to speak. After a humungous pause she tilted her head forward and looked up at him, waving a hand in front of his eyes. He made a face and she sighed.

"Um Julie, about this Riggins thing..." she crossed her arms across her chest as soon as the word Riggins was mentioned. Defensive much? He had to continue

"...you know how sometimes, someone could perhaps want someone else for other reasons because other people think they should?" He finished feeling pleased with himself, there were no details there at all.

"What the hell did that mean Matt?" his confidence was dented by her question, time to try again. He took a deep breath.

"Julie?"

"Yep, that's me." No this wouldn't hurt at all.

"Julie...I think you should be careful about what might be going on with people that you don't know too well. Some things may be decided and then you know someone else could be affected by that."

"Now I know when the expression 'as useless as tits on a bull' can be used Matt. I don't speak Saracen code, I have no idea what you are trying to say. So you don't like Riggins, nobody does much. You don't like most of the guys you play with and I am your ex-, let's move on hey?" She stalked off, tossing her bag strap angrily across her body and he knew sight unseen that her nostrils would be flaring in the most attractive of ways. He sighed again, he'd have to try harder. Maybe let Landry in? He was officially part of the team still, wasn't he? He wouldn't be breaking the 'locker room' agreement. He needed the opinions of someone with a lot of opinions to give.

/-/-/

Eric Taylor found himself to be a reasonable man. But he was wondering why the hell Riggins had joined book club. He could barely stay sober long enough to attend football practice, let alone read a book (if he even could read). And now Riggins was hanging out with his daughter? Granted, they weren't alone. The Lois girl and Landry were there. His wife, on the other hand, had been delighted by Tim's presence. He complimented on her brownies, her spinach dip, and her outfit. The Coach didn't like it at all.

But then there was a knock on the door, and he went to get it. His jaw dropped when he saw Smash only in a very tiny pair of shorts, his muscles glistening in the light. Smash smelled like a mixture of cheap drug-store cologne and sweat. Which didn't make up a very nice combination. Through gritted teeth the coach said, "What are you doing?" Is this how Smash went out about town, this was embarrassing to the team. Even Riggins alcohol problem wasn't this embarrassing.

"I'd actually like to see you're daughter." Smash said, bluntly. The look on Eric's face went from shocked and pissed off to a look of pure hate. Surely Smash wasn't joining the book club too?

When Julie saw Smash enter the room she bit her lip to refrain from laughing. Sometimes she was glad she was the coach's daughter. She got to see players at their weakest. But Smash didn't look embarrassed. She and Lois and Landry had been highlighting the selections to give to the members the next week, thinking up topics and taking notes. Organizing the snacks and such (because every good club has snacks). To her surprise, Tim had tagged along with Landry. Landry had said his car had broken down and Tim came to rescue him.

Who would've thought Tim could do something so nice? She'd told him he could stay. Lois had liked that idea a lot. And so, though she would never admit it, did she. She'd judged Riggins and... he didn't seem all that bad.

When Smash sat down, however, that's when Julie was truly shocked. She heard Tim say, "What is he doing here?" and saw her dad flash a look that read what the fuck, Julie? And she had no idea what was going on.

/-/-/

What the fuck was Smash doing here? He knew he wasn't the only one who was thinking it, he could see it on the Coach's face as well. And Julie's. And Landry's. But Julie's giggly friend seemed to be enjoying it immensely.

Smash responded to his previous question, "Oh, just seeing if Juu-lee was busy?" Smash raised an eyebrow, Julie raised both.

To Tim's amusement Julie said, "Smash, where are your clothes?" It was obviously what was going unspoken. Was Smash really that stupid? Showing up half naked to the coach's house to impress his daughter? It wouldn't impress Julie anyway. Julie was smart, she wasn't just hot or whatever Smash thought, she was beautiful. On the inside and out. Fuck, Tim, what the fuck are you thinking? This is the girl you need nothing more from then sex.

He'd known it wouldn't be that simple. But he was just realizing this now.

AN – Okay sorry for the delay but Lilly had an accident and morphine was involved so you can imagine! She's okay though, thank goodness. Enjoy.


	5. Tight Asses and Belaboured Balls

**Chapter 4**** – ****Tight Asses and Belaboured Balls**

Julie contemplated the turn around this was Tim Riggins at the moment. She had to admit that she was impressed. Book club and helping out Landry - it was above and beyond for a footballer. Walking down the crowded hall of the school Julie was slightly dazed about the attention she receiving from the Panthers leadership team. Smash, Riggins and Matt all seemed mighty interested in what she was up to at the moment. It was thrilling to have all this interest but in the back of her mind she was a little distrustful of the timing and the coincidence of it all. Tim stepped in front of her, effectively cutting her off from class and moving all together.

"So Jules..." hears him say her name like that in his deep voice gave her chills. Lois was right, he had an ass like granite and a voice that disturbed her body's equilibrium.

"So Tim...?" she had no idea where he was going. She raised her eyebrow, cocked her head and tried her best Riggins impression. He looked at her blankly, he could see the cogs turning and then the realisation that she was making fun of him. A cocky smile spread across his face.

"You know that's pretty good but if you want it to be better you'd have to spend more time studying me."

"Oh really, " that was such a line. It was a miracle he'd ever picked up before, oh wait with a face and ass like him you didn't have to be all that inventive.

"Yeah. How about studying me after school?" he looked at her, daring her with a glance.

"I don't want to complete with others to study you Tim, I am more of a solo studier, if you get my drift?" She wanted to make it clear that she wasn't going to be mess around with, mentally or any other way.

"Okay it's a date," he looked exceedingly pleased with himself.

"No it's not, it's not a date," she replied wanting to take the pressure off. "It can be in no way a date."

"Okay then we're hanging out then, catch you after school," he threw a wave in her direction giving her a great view of his fine ass, robbing her of the chance to refuse his invitation. Although she was a little shocked to really take in its magnificence, she was 'hanging out' with Tim. Whoa.

/-/-/

Tim was in a bind. He had wangled a date (although she refused to call it that) with Julie and he had no idea where to go. He couldn't just park with her like he normally would do and the bleachers were kind of a no go zone too. The possibility of a Coach sighting would be too high and he didn't want to get an ass whooping. So he went to the only person who might help him out.

"So you are asking me...where you should take Julie on a date?" Landry was surprised. Tim never thought he'd be going to Landry for chick advice either.

"Yeah, so where?" he wanted this over with already.

"I hope you see the problem in this favour you are asking. Matt is my best friend and you are asking me where you should take his ex-girlfriend for whom he still has feelings. The man-whore taking out my best friend's girl. You see my predicament?" Tim rolled his eyes.

"Don' t worry then, I'll work it out myself," Tim stormed off, there was no way in hell he was sitting back and listening to all that drivel. He'd work it out. He'd have to.

/-/-/

Tim was sitting beside Landry. The teacher was picking names out of a hat.

"Landry Clarke and... Miss Greta Waldorf..." the teacher picked up continued, "Lyla Garritty," all he could think of was, please don't say my name.

"Smash Williams," as happy as we was, the look on Smash's face didn't make him feel so hot.

The teacher called a few more names, and then she said Lois' name... and then, "Timothy Riggins." He gave the teacher a blank stare. Jeez, was he supposed to work with Lois? Not after what happened with Julie. But in five minutes Lois' chair was by his desk, "So I heard you're taking Julie out." Lois smile was unnerving.

"Uh... yeah... wait, no we're just hanging out..." Tim said, his eyes drifting over to Smash and Lyla.

"When two people hang out, Tim, it's called dating."

This put a grin on Tim's face, "Do you and Julie ever hang out?"

Lois giggled.

/-/-/

"Just you and her?" Tim asked, he knew he was being a cheeky bastard but he didn't care. Neither did Lois apparently, she was giggling like her life depended on it. Tim wasn't all that fond of gigglers.

"Ti----im, it's not like that, we're best friends." Her tone bugged him even more than her giggling, the accompanying thump also didn't endear Lois to him. He'd have to back off a little, he wasn't trying much and he had her in the palm of his hand. Step off the accelerator, he thought, the way to a girl is through her best friend after all.

"So are you into Julie or do you have an alternative reason for all this attention?" Tim's necked snapped around at Lois' question. He looked at her and realised that he had underestimated her enormously. She was serious, almost as if the previously giggling had been intended to lull him into a false sense of security. Her next question confirmed his suspicions.

"Cause if this is anything other than you being into her, genuinely, I'll take ownership of your balls."

Tim gulped. This bet was getting really complicated.

**Author's Note** – Lilly's doing better but she is bedridden, give her a PM and make her feel better. We should be pretty productive over the next few days thanks to all the ideas Lilly is cranking out right now. Have a great weekend.


	6. Pride and Pissyness

**Chapter 6 – Pride and Pissyness**

Tim found himself in the uncomfortable predicament of being confronted by the Coach. He was at training getting his balls busted along with his team's mates. The weather was stifling and they were doing stair runs and assorted drill until they needed to drink their own body weight just to keep moving. At the end of practice he was called over by the Coach, not called so much as bellowed

"33 get your tired ass over here," Riggins ass had never been referred to in such a negative way before. He choked back a chuckle.

"Yes, Coach," he stood there as straight as he could despite the tiredness sweeping through him.

"I want to know what you intend for my daughter," his face was hard and uncompromising. If Tim had had a tie on he would stick his fingers beneath his collar and stretch it out. He was suddenly more hot than he'd ever felt in his life. The harsh gaze of the Coach making him gulp in time with his own rapidly escalating pulse.

"Coach, we are purely literacy buddies, she is helping me to become a better academic Sir," Riggins hoped with all his might than he was coming across as sincere and honest as he was trying to project.

The Coach stared at his at length and then obviously came to a decision. He nodded, smiled and said

"Off you go son. I look forward to seeing you more around the house. If anyone can help you out it is one of my girls," he grinned in pride, obviously speaking about Jules and Mrs Taylor. Riggins let out a sigh of relief and hustled to the locker room.

/-/-/

Eric came out of practise feeling mighty good. That son of a gun Riggs wasn't after his daughter. He felt relieved, if he had been he might need to kill him and ground Julie until she was infertile. Riggs had been around the house for the book club and he had immediately been suspicious. Riggs' grades would indicate that reading wasn't on the top of his list of priorities. But Riggs had made it clear, his involvement in book club and in his daughter's life, was predominantly for a grade improvement rather than feeling her up. Yep Eric Taylor felt alright with the world. In fact he was looking forward to the young man coming over again, levelling the genders and maybe give him a run for his money in the ping pong.

Eric was watching some game tapes in his office when Julie ran in.

"Dad could I go out after school with some friends?" she looked liked she was up to something. Eric smelt a rat.

"Who would these friends be?" he asked, using his inquisitor's eye.

"A whole group from book club and Matt too," He thought about that, Matt huh? Maybe she was a going to get back together with him. That would be interesting; he'd have to haul the kid back into his office.

"Sound good hun, have fun," he felt pretty proud of himself. He was watching her back, being a responsible father and protecting her from impregnation. He was good, he was real good at this dad thing.

/-/-/

Julie left to hang out with Tim, picking Matt up on the way. She got a call from Lois and ended up having to swing by and pick her up too. She was pulling a switcheroo on Riggins, he thought they'd be hanging out and they would be with many other people. She admitted to herself that bringing her ex- along might be going too far but she couldn't help herself. That, and Matt was rather insistent on going when she said she was going to hang out with Riggins. When Riggins grinned that smug smile she just wanted to hit him, physically or figuratively. Matt and Lois were the means to give him a "big hit" in his smug guts.

Julie enters Applebee's with Matt and Lois by her side. She saw Tim in a booth, he didn't see them. They walk up to the booth and Riggins sees them. An obvious expression of utter shock sweeping across his face. Score one: Julie. Julie smiled her most wicked smile and said

"Since we are hanging out I thought I would invite some friends," waving a hand in the direction of her associates. Matt stared at Riggins with blatant disapproval, nodding a greeting and Lois waved, a sardonic smile on her face. His face said it all, she screwed him over (and not in the way he would like.) Julie struggled to keep her laugh contained.

"Hey Riggins, you know Matt and Lois right. Are we ready to hang?" she giggled and the three newcomers found seats in the booth. Matt hustled Julie into one side, him next to her and Lois slid in next to Riggins. They all sat there silently looking at one another, Matt shooting Riggins hostile glances, Lois enjoying the awkwardness of the situation and Riggins gently nudging her foot with his own under the table.

Julie looked at him, here eyebrows raised in silent enquiry. What the hell do you think you are doing mister? Lois looked at Julie and then Riggins. Realising something was up, she snorted "I've had enough of this crap," got up and stormed out. It was weird. Even for Lois it was weird. Riggins looked innocent, Matt looked perplexed and Julie smiled inwardly.

"So Matt how was practise?" Julie asked, trying to get the conversation flowing.

"Um, yeah it was okay. It was pretty uh warm..."he didn't finish his sentence, just letting it trail off into nothingness. Julie stared at him, this was his contribution to hanging out. She huffed in exasperation.

"Sure, what about you Tim, what have you been up to today?" Julie turned her attention on the only other person in their booth who might actually converse.

"Not much, classes, training, talking a beautiful girl into hanging out," he grinned sexily at her. She couldn't help but smile back. She heard a growling sound, really quiet but couldn't work out where it was coming from.

"Oh yeah, where is she?" she made a show of looking around Applebee's, inspecting customers and even lowering her head below the table top.

"She's right opposite me," so he'd made his intentions clear. In front of Matt no less. Matt suddenly stood up and mumbled something about his Grandma, departing immediately. "Finally," she heard Riggins say under his breath.

"So what is your grand plan Tim? Seduce all the girls on Dillon High one by one?" she looked him in the eye and looked sheepish.

"Why bother with the rest, all I want in right in front of me," with that he leaned forward and placed his hand over hers. She tensed, now that was a good line.

/-/-/

The date he went on, The Date, had gone well. To an extent, Lois and Matt had tagged along (which was too weird) and it was ridiculously weird ... and, anyway, he'd liked spending time with Julie. Being around her was nice. Being around her was better then nice. She was sweet and smart, but not just book smart. And felt like he knew her.

She was sweet, and he had a feeling she'd taste like Cherry Jolly Ranchers. Unfortunately this theory hasn't been tested. Unfortunately, where did that come from?

As he walked down the halls he could see people looking at him at such an intensity he hadn't felt since the Lyla incident. Landry was grinning, Matt shook his head. Groups of girls giggling. Smash was chatting up Lyla by her locker, the only one not looking at him. I guess the cat was out of the bag that he and Julie had "hung out".

But he saw Julie easily go to her locker without hassle, and grab her books and walk arm in arm with Lois way down the hall. The attention wasn't on Julie, it was on Lois. In fact the attention was so palpable that Julie didn't even notice him. He had an epiphany; Lois and he were working on an assignment and going to Applebee's. Well if he was going to "date" somebody in Dillon High's Public eye, it was better if it wasn't Julie Taylor.

**Author's Note** – Sorry for the delay, completely my fault (not Lily's) finally had a social life this weekend and suffered for it Sunday.


	7. The Mislead leading the Mislead

**Chapter ****7 ****–****The Mislead leading the Mislead.**

Tim walked out of the showers, a slightly damp towel firmly attached to his slightly damp body, and into the locker room which smelled strongly of sweat. When he got to his locker, two down from Smash's, Smash was spraying Brute cologne under his armpits in place of deodorant (like any normal person.)

"So you and Garrity, huh?" Tim said casually, putting on deodorant.

"She needs a man." Smash stated. Tim rolled his eyes at this one, the 'I'm a bigger man then you' jab Smash used as a 'diss' him every time was beyond old.

"Right." Tim replied easily, removing the towel and getting dressed.

A second-string tenth grader came through the doors and remarked to Tim, "I hear you're going out with that Lois girl." Inwardly, Tim laughed at the thought. Lois? And... him? Never he liked his balls where they were. Lois and him? It was the general opinion of Dillon High.

So he smiled and said, "Yep, isn't she great?" He put on a shirt, and ran a brush through his hair, for the first time in over a week. Most of the tangles stayed the way they were, but he looked a little better.

After most of the guys drained from the locker room Tim approached Smash, "The bet is over."

Smash laughed, "I don't think so." he smirked, laughing.

/-/-/

When Tim was walking to class Julie cut in front of him, walking backwards she had a huge grin on her face, "Hey." She was wearing a t-shirt that said - Blonde's do It Better (which agreed with) -and a pair of jeans. Her hair was pulled back from her face. She looked cute, but not just cute. Beautiful.

Don't think like that. You need to end this. You can't hurt her.

"So I hear you and Lois had a good time...?" Julie asked the grin on her face only seeming to grow. The poker face on Tim's grew to a frown.

"We did." he looked away. They were both conveniently brushing past Lois' hasty departure. Was this code?

"Do you think you might want to hang with Lo again sometime soon?" .

He wanted to. He wanted to say yes. But you didn't deserve it. She didn't deserve to get hurt. "Your dad's my coach..." he finally said. Lame excuse, almost as lame as the diss Smash used on you earlier.

Her eyebrows shot up, but she left. He did what he should have. He did the right thing.

Right?

It sure didn't feel like it.

/-/-/

So, he turned you down. Julie Taylor hadn't ever been turned down by a boy, she was always pursued. Matt tried to win her, and eventually he did. Then Tim asked her out, not the other way around. She'd never been rejected. It hurt.

Matt came up to her in Science, asking her if she wanted to be lab partners. She agreed, she had nobody else anyway. Matt looked like he had something to say, and as they were burning the Magnesium he kept stuttering. Jeez, why was Matt always like that? It wasn't exactly cool.

Why did she like Tim? It would've been better if she just stayed the hell away from him, like her dad would've wanted.

/-/-/

"Lyla!" Smash called out, one hand up, the other in his pocket. The brunette turned around and smiled at him through big white (Hillary Duff-esque) teeth.

"Hey Smash," she said, her hand still on the lock. She'd be lying if she said she didn't think about him. At night. Her hands automatically turned the dial of the lock. The locker opened, and one of her text books fell out.

Smash picked it up, passing it to her. "So... I was wondering if you wanted to go out sometime?" Smash asked, why the hell did Lyla make him so nervous? Smash held his breath. He was genuinely shocked when she said,

"I'd love too." And then they set a date (Friday), a time (7:30), and a location (Applebee's). It was easier than he thought, he wondered if she would be? He chuckled to himself.

**Author's Note** – Big cheers to Lilly for doing more than her fair share of writing over the last couple of days. Aren't you people lucky? Two chapters in 30 minutes.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter ****8**** - Thump**

The Dillon High Book Clun met briefly in the library to announce the new book and where they were to be meeting next. The small group dissipated rather quickly until there was just Riggins and Julie left behind. They stood facing one another. Julie clearly nervous, her left floor circling her right and visa versa. Her hands looped in her belt loops and her eyes lock on his. Tim stood there confident. He had decided that perhaps he could do this. He could pursue her but for the right reasons not the bet reason. He could pretend that the bet didn't exist and get little Julie Taylor all for himself. Tim liked that idea, he was going to run with it.

Julie was a saucy little chick too. She walked with determination, her hips swaying to and fro as she stalked the halls. Her hair would move in time with her hips and the view from behind was ideal. He found himself looking for her all the time just to watch the way she moved and conducted herself. Tim tried to take a centring breath. His mojo wasn't proving to be all that successful and he would have to try something different, something that went across the normal Riggins approach.

"So, uh a new book huh?" he felt like thumping the heel of his hand against his forehead. That was his sweet move?

"Yeah, it should be a good one," Julie spoke to him without giving any eye contact. This was good she was battling her attraction to him.

"I had a good time the other day, you know the double date from hell?" he joked trying to create some levity and maybe one of those sweet smiles of hers.

"What? I felt the chemistry between you and Lois..." Julie cracked up laughing. Tim scowled, the only chemistry Lois and he would have would be if she removed his balls and concocted an evil witch's brew with them as the vital ingredient.

"Well I didn't feel any between you and Matt. What's with that kid anyway? You'd think someone stole his lucky socks."

"Matt has lucky socks?" Julie tried to avoid Matt personal talk. She squirmed when his name was brought up.

"Sure. So how about maybe doing it again and just you and me?" he stepped into her body, shortening the distance between them. She tried to hide her quick intake of oxygen.

"Mmmmm I don't know," she looked at him with those big eyes of hers. Eyes that held him frozen in her glance. The connection between them strengthened and he saw her tongue trace the contours of her top lip. He almost groaned. Before he could Julie Taylor, little innocent Julie Taylor, leaned in to him, raising herself on her toes and moved in for an impromptu kiss. Tim found himself moving in to her too.

Thump. The two broke apart having not even touched lips to see Landry Clark staring at them stunned, a pile of books scattered around his feet. Riggins wanted to hurt him...a lot. Riggins threw him glance that could singe hair and Landry hurriedly picked up his books and scurried away.

Riggins heard a sigh and saw Julie turn around, pick up her own books and move towards the library's exit without giving him a single glance.

/-/-/

Matt was sitting in the caf reading his book for English and trying not to think about Julie. He definitely still had feelings for her and the bet was taking on a life of its own. Riggins was making significant inroads. He could tell from a mile off and Julie seemed to be enjoying all the attention. Julie and he had never taken that step and the thought she might with one of those meatheads was beyond his comprehension. That she might lose her virginity as part of a best was even worse. Unless of course the Swede had already divested her of that. Matt groaned he needed to stop thinking altogether.

Landry entered the caf with a huge stack of books and Matt was relieved for the distraction. Although unlike Landry's usual relaxed walk he was storming in with a lot of focus. Matt raised his hand, making Landry aware of his presence and his friend immediately changed course to towards him.

"Hey man," Landry paused his breathing hard. "I just saw something that is going to blow your mind." He stood there staring at Matt, Matt had no idea what his friend was talking about.

"Well, what?" Matt knew this was going to be interesting. He leaned forward, Landry wasn't much of a gossip so it had to be good.

"I just saw Julie kissing Riggins," Landry held his breath and Matt turned to stone. This wasn't good. It wasn't good at all. Landry's books hit the table with a thump and to Matt is sounded like a death knell.

/-/-/

Julie was confused. Riggins had pursued her by reading and joining the book club, asked her on a date, then backed off and then was going to kiss her. Well she was nearly kissing him and he didn't look all that fussed about it. She had no idea where she stood but she did like the butterflies in her belly and the speeding up of her pulse whenever he was in her orbit. The only thing she could think to do when they were interrupted was to flee. Very juvenile but the only option she felt all that comfortable with. Just the scent of him drove her insane. She had wanted that kiss bad, damn Landry Clark!

/-/-/

The knock on the door was loud and through, as Lyla suspected. But it also came half an hour early (good thing she was ready an hour early). She had been waiting by the door so her mother, or her freak vegan boyfriend, wouldn't have the pleasure. And when she opened the door she couldn't help take in the pleasure of--"Tim?" Lyla couldn't help but be a little bit surprised it was Riggins at her door.

She almost laughed, but he inward cringe escaped her. Why was her old-boyfriend? Lover? Or whatever Tim Riggins was to her-here? "Listen... I'm kind of busy..." she said, looking at him right into the eye.

"I need to talk..." and Lyla rolled her eyes,

"There's no way in hell we're getting together, Riggins."

He smiled, "Actually I need some advice," and then he go into talking to Lyla, not as ex-girlfriend Lyla, but as the way it used to be. Him, Street and Lyla. He relied on them more then anybody. He was just starting to realize that he still did, and probably always would.

The door was open, and Lyla's hand was on Tim's arm and she was nodding and putting in her two cents (which really was crap advice, but Tim didn't know the difference) when Smash walked in. He took one look at Lyla and Tim and was almost on the brink of tears.

"It's not what-"

"I was just-"

"Leaving, he was just LEAVING. Right, Tim?"

And then Smash took another look at Lyla, and Tim was gone. Actually, it wasn't right then, they just immediately tuned it out. His hand was on hers, and hers on his. Their fingers intertwined. And the walked, hips brushing, to the car. But before they got to Smash's automobile, Smash pinned her to her mother's car and kissed her.

And she laughed gently, well what she thought was a gentle laugh was actually a loud moan. And then, before they knew it, they heard the overwhelming sense of the neighbour's dogs barking. And then they had an audience. And then Lyla heard a, "Lyla Garrity get the hell back in the house!!"

And the date was over, but it had been perfect.

**Author's Note** – Big News Everyone! Lilly's got herself engaged.


	9. Achy Breaky Heart

**Chapter**** 9**** – Achy ****Breaky**** Heart**

Julie was hiding out in the library. It was a place where Tim Riggins would not have been found previous to the Book Club. Her theory – hide in the back and he won't find her. Julie was getting supremely confused, he liked her a little she knew that. They had almost kissed but then Landry had come in and ruined it all. Now Riggins was AWOL. She didn't know if she should be chasing or avoiding him. So Julie had decided to hide and let him choose. Her head hurt from all the thinking, let him think she thought. Those cogs in his brain need some lubrication.

So she had nearly kissed him and then run away, yeah she had some serious balls alright. She was waiting for him to make his move or not. Julie really needed some clarity. Was he interested in her or was she a convenient set of lips? Or worse, did he think she'd be an easy conquest? She blushed deep red. Riggins could think that. She's been pretty forward, leaning in for the kiss, blatantly licking her lips to draw attention to them. This was not what she wanted.

/-/-/

Julie was sitting on the floor learning against the dusty stacks in the back when a pair of dusty boots planted themselves fair in front of her. She followed the boots up the leg and right into the most beautiful, soulful eyes she had ever seen. In that instant, with that thought, she knew she was done. Riggins had soulful eyes, who says that unless they're in a love daze seriously?

Tim reached his hand out to her and she hesitated to take it. She looked at him curiously to find him regarding her with the same expression. He didn't say a word. She looked at his hand again, shrugged and grasped it. His hand encompassed hers, his grip was sturdy, slightly callused and oh so divine. Once she was standing he didn't let go, in fact he pulled her body into her own and she yelped with surprise. He chuckled ad sealed her open mouth with his own.

Julie froze. This was what she wanted right? Riggins mouth on hers? She quickly brought her attention back to the warm boy giving his full attention to her unresponsive mouth. She breathed in and went with it. She threw her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss. The force of her body pushed him against the stacks and she took advantage. She pressed into him, his arms sliding down her back and cupping her ass. It felt good. She started playing with the hair on the back of his neck while she drew his top lips between her own and concentrated on pleasuring him with her mouth. He drew his mouth away from hers, took in a deep breath and gasped

"Are you sure about this?" she gave him a perplexed look and then flashed a sexy grin at him. She grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him against her so they bounced off one stack and ended up with her pressed against the opposite stack, his body squished hers this Tim. His hands rose to either side of her head and their kiss intensified. She moved her hands from his collar and down his magnificent chest.

"Ahem," the sound of a throat being obviously cleared sounded and they both looked up to see Mrs Hubert, the school librarian. They broke apart and Tim looked quite bashful at being busted. Julie just grinned wolfishly.

"So um do you think you might like to watch for me at State?" he asked her. He hadn't given her eye contact yet. The librarian moved on and Julie stepped back up to Tim so that she was flush up against him. She wiggled her hips up against his pelvis

"You bet, " she smiled, sealing the deal with a kiss and sauntering off. She looked back a few seconds later to see a shell shocked Riggins frozen in place. She smiled, who was the aggressor now?

/-/-/

Matt had tossed and turned all night concerned that Julie really needed to know the truth soon. He knew he would have to be the one but he really didn't know how. How do you tell a girl that some insensitive assholes made a bet pertaining to the success of them taking her virginity. It was horrible just to think about it but it was worse that it was Jules.

In the morning not having had any sleep, Matt crawled out of bed and got himself and his grandma ready for the day. He walked cautiously into school, looking left and right for Julie. When he thought he may have to give up he spotted her. She was wearing a sundress that floated out around her and the biggest sunshiny smile he'd even seen on her face. Matt followed the directed of her gaze and spotted Tim Riggins as the recipient. He hurried forward, grabbed her arm and dragged her into an empty classroom. Riggins looked shocked and Julie looked pissed off.

Once inside she hit him in the arm and yelled

"Matt what in the hell are you thinking?" she stared at him, her hands planted on her hips, her legs equal distance apart and an ugly scowl on her face. He shivered, that's what the Coach looked like when he was monumentally peeved. She tapped her foot in agitation.

"Well?" he gulped and she turned to leave. He grabbed her arm again but she shrugged him off.

"Matt c'mon what is going on?" she was clearly frustrated. He breathed in deeply and went for it.

"There's a bet," she raised her eyebrows as if to ask how does this apply to me? "About you." Her foot immediately stopped tapping and her face became intent.

"Regarding what, Matt?" her eyes made his insides squirm, this would destroy her.

"Who would get your v card," she looked at his puzzled and he realised he would have to offer an alternative explanation. "Your virginity." She gasped the pain on her face indescribable. She went a starling shade of red, the wheels in her brain turning and the emotions rising to the surface.

"Who?" she let out a word in an almost sob. She stepped into him, her face inches from his own, and her eyes searching his. "The players?"

"Yeah but there are only two involved," he sighed. Her face scrunched and the tears welled in her eyes.

"Smash?" he nodded. Julie then breathed in a sob, her hand rising to her chest "Riggins?" in that moment Matt knew she actually had felt something for the fullback. His regret in telling her turned into rage. Riggins had hurt her badly.

"Matt, was Tim the other one?" he realised he hasn't confirmed her guess.

"Yeah it was Riggins. I am so sorry Jules. I wanted to tell you but I didn't know how," she placed a hand on his arm in support.

"You've been a good friend Matt, thank you," she raised herself on her tip toes and kissed his cheek. Julie stood back, straightened herself and stormed out the door. Matt sighed, he wouldn't want to be Smash or Riggins right now. Hell hath no fury than a woman scorned, especially one with a decent right hook and a scary ass set of parents.


	10. Wipe Out!

**Chapter**** 10**** – ****Wipe Out!**

When Smash approached her, she was beyond upset. She just rolled her eyes. What could she say? At this point, she was to upset for a snarky comment, so she just said,

"So...?"

Smash laughed, full of ego and sperm to spread, he was all smiles,

"So you want to consummate our relationship?" he sniggered, she was appalled. Her fake smile faded, because this just brought up The Bet once more. She expected Smash, and she would've expected Tim to do it, but... she just thought he'd changed. Better yet, she thought she had had something to do with the new and improved Riggins. And the sad part was that she still hoped she did. How spineless was that?

She wanted everything to be better, to not have panned out the way it did. But now, the damage was irreversible. She'd been used. And she had let herself be used. So she turned to Smash, resisted the urge to cry and slapped him.

"Jerk," she said, stalking down the hallway.

/-/-/

Lyla had been walking down the hallway to give him the brownies she'd slaved over the stove for hours to make. The grin on her face couldn't be described. She was beyond happy, she was in love. Their first date might not have gone so well, but their second one was magic. And now everybody knew... she was the queen of the football girlfriends once more.

But then, turning down the hallway she slid behind Smash (wanting to pull him either into the janitor's closet, or just do him for everybody to see) and heard what he said,

"Do you want to consummate our relationship?"

Her heart fell. It fluttered, it fell again. Before Julie Taylor (what a slut!!!) or the man she'd trusted with her heart noticed her, she slipped away. She'd thought he'd felt the same way about her. Tears fell, sobs started.

/-/-/

Matt scampered out of the empty classroom. He pulled up quickly when he saw Smash talking to Julie and then her storm off purposefully, a look of supreme anger on her face. His anger dissipated with the realisation that this situation was going to get worse before it got better. This would erupt in a way that he hadn't necessarily considered. That more feelings had been in play than just his and Julie's. This was confirmed when he observed the stricken look on Lyla Garrity's face when Smash had propositioned Julie. He sighed. Sometimes doing the right thing was a pain in the rear.

/-/-/

Riggins was feeling pretty good as he pushed the weights above his head and then down to his chest. Sweat peppered his forehead and the exertion of the weight training had him breathing heavily too. He had heard through the grapevine that Smash has propositioned Julie and that she had turned him down flat. It felt good he had to admit, to know that she was into him and not any random, well-performing player. The thought of Smash brought The Bet to the fore of his mind. He had been feeling guilty about it for awhile now and just knowing Julie was enough. The Bet meant nothing, even if it hadn't been scrapped. He continued pushing the weights, his hair sticking to his face. Another player was acting as his spotter but suddenly Saracen's face slid into view. He looked like he was about to barf.

"Hey Seven, what's the go?" Tim continued pushing the weights, his question coming out of his mouth like a gust of air. From this angle he could see Matt almost swallow his Adam's apple, he was clearly nervous.

"Um ahh Riggins. I ah have seen you and Smash trying with uhh Julie and it hasn't errr sat well with me, ya know?" Saracen looked at him, clearly wanted him to understand. He nodded, he had no idea where this was going.

"Julie's special, she uh shouldn't have errr become part of The Bet." Saracen's voice was slowly becoming more authoritative. Tim stopped pushing the weights and sat up.

"What are you getting at Seven?" Riggins just wanted to get to the core of it already.

"I told her." Those three words sat in the air, slowly sinking in as the weight of their meaning computed. Tim shook his head.

"You told her about The Bet?" He was feeling an emotion he couldn't name move through his body. "Did you name names?" It was dread, the emotion was dread.

"I really didn't have to, she uh joined the dots pretty quickly," Matt looked at Riggins straight in the eye as if he was attempting to assess his feelings. Riggins struggled to keep his normal blank look in place.

"So she knew about Smash and me?" His stomach dropped and he knew he really didn't need to answer on this one. Matt's face was clear enough to read. There was no point in being pissed off with Matt, he was acting in Julie's best interests and that's what he should have right from the beginning. "How did she react?" he really needed to know.

"Not well man, her face kinda fell. I thought she might cry." Matt looked at him, accurately reading Tim's guilt face and Matt's changed to one of pity. "I'm sorry man but the bet wasn't cool and I couldn't let it continue with her not knowing. It was cruel." Riggins nodded as Matt departed, he couldn't disagree with that. The question now was how he'd get close enough to Julie to spare himself bodily injury. To explain himself. To perhaps secure himself another chance with her. Who was he kidding? There was no way in hell a chick like her would give someone like him another chance. He had already proven what a Class A jerk he was by being involved in The Bet. He couldn't deny agreeing to it or initially taking part in it. He was guilty. How would he explain that to a girl who would have nothing to do with his excuses, reasons or explanations?


	11. Want a bag for those balls?

**Chapter 11 – Would you like a bag for your balls?**

Tim was a little desperate, things were going down fast and he didn't like it. He saw Julie further up the hall and decided to give it a shot. 

"Hey Jules..." he stopped right there. She gave him a glance that would burn skin away from the bone.

"Don't hey Jules me, you ass," she turned around, her blonde hair whipping him in the face as she stalked off. He stood there unsure of what to do. He was furious with himself, he turned and drove his fist squarely into the nearest locker, ignoring the dent in the metal and the pain in his hand.

/-/-/

Julie was doing her homework when her Mom told her that there was someone on the line for her. She picked up the phone thinking it was Lois, it wasn't.

"Jules I just wanna explain..." she hung up on him without a tinge of remorse. This guy had treated her like crap, an amusement to entertain him and his team. He needed to give it up already. Beside how could he really explain The Bet away?

/-/-/

Third time lucky Tim thought. He decided that the element of surprise was necessary. He grabbed her as she was on the way to the field to assist her father. His hand over her mouth and another around her waist he heaved her to a point behind the bleachers.

"Just hear me out,' he said. Tim's hand still on her mouth. Her eyes were wildly looking to and fro and the anger was palpable. He had a chance here to explain himself. Well he thought he did until a knee launched out and caught him in the balls. The breath left his body, pain flooding into his nether regions. Jules stalked away leaving him like a wounded animal. This was going to be harder than he imagined.

/-/-/

Things weren't going all that well, Matt thought. Sure Julie knew the truth now but she wasn't any happier and she wasn't running to him for support either. He was sitting in the cafeteria watching people are he was prone to do. He saw Riggins stumble in, seemingly in pain. Riggins saw him and ambled to his table, sitting down a defeated mass of muscle. 

"Are you okay 33?" Matt asked. Looking Tim over he saw his right hand was swollen with bloody graves on his knuckles and he was walking kinda funny.

'Yeah, fine." Riggins sighed focussing on his food and very little else.

"Talk to Julie yet?" Matt asked.

"No she's too busy playing target practice with my balls," Riggins grumbled and Matt laughed, maybe he could make jokes. "Seriously man what do I do?" Matt was surprised by the sincerity in Riggins' eyes.

"You gotta wait her out, wait until she's ready to listen. This isn't about you, you are forcing it too much." Tim looked at Matt like he was a foreign visitor. Matt nodded. You had to wait for Julie to come to you and that's what he was doing at the moment. The guy she wanted, it was up to her. Riggins continued to contemplate and then nodded slowly recognising the wise advice for what it was.

"This strategy is a good one, I can't take another injury," he sighed and attacked his food.

/-/-/

His hand was on her shoulder. Not that anybody said it was his hand, but she didn't feel tingly like that for anybody else. Lyla turned around and she wasn't surprised when it was Smash. She hated her heart for flipping around when she saw him, and she wanted to kill her skin for getting goose bumps and tingling. "What do you want?" she asked. And he just looked at her, looked in her eyes. He seemed to see everything. She couldn't deal with it, before he responded she walked.

/-/-/

He had no idea why the hell she was mad at him. What had he done to be on the wrong end of a Garrity glare? He sighed, he opened his lock. He didn't feel like the stupid thing with Julie anymore. He felt like ... he felt like he'd grown as men just being near her. He yearned to run his hands through her long, dark curls. He yearned to kiss her. He yearned to be the only one who could hold her. He wanted to make babies with her. He wanted to make love in a tree. Not that he'd tell her this. He looked in his locker and only saw some useless binders. As he moved around the folders and pencils he knew what he had to do. 

/-/-/

Tim was a little scared. Lois was stalking towards him and his balls had already been assaulted. He would like to have kids some day, and if Lois did what she wanted to , it wasn't going to be a medical possibility. Tim resisted the temptation to guard his balls with his hands.

Lois walked straight up to him and pushed him in the chest. 

"I warned you buster," she stood feet apart, hands on her hips yet didn't have any of the appeal of Julie in a royal snit. Tim stood his ground, there was no way this chick was going to damage him. 

"You warned me. You're having a go now. You're a good friend. Run along." She sucked in a breath, opened her mouth to say something and froze. Her eyes were moving wildly around in her head as if she were grasping for words. Her shoulders lowered and she looked a tad rejected, she had obviously gotten all worked up for this and had been shot down effectively.

"She's pretty devo you know?" she said quietly.

"Devo?' he had no idea what she was talking about.

"Devastated." He would rather not know.

"I know. What can I do?" she looked up at him in surprise. She read the frustration on his face.

"Just back off Tim, you are not what she needs."

**AN – So Lilly and I stalled for a month, or more accurately I did. Let's just say that we wrote Smash's death and then the story died along with the character. We have taken a new direction and the last chapter will be up very soon.**


	12. Us

**Chapter 12 – Us**

Sitting at the pre-game toast Lyla couldn't help but be a little bit ticked off that Smash wasn't up there, talking about how he was in love with her. She sighed, and just stared at Riggins, the town idiot and her former flame, who kept staring at that whore, Julie Taylor. Why was everybody so taken with Julie? She scowled.

A girl who she knew vaguely as Holly sat beside her, "Hey, how's Smash?" she turned her scowl into a... pleasant scowl, and replied that he was doing good. Just great. She tapped her fingers against the table, they made a weird sound what with the wood and vinyl table cloth.

/-/-/

Last year's joke had not been a success, so this year Tim had gotten his joke from the best source: the internet. Though none of them really related directly with Panther Football, he was still going to use them.

"Bloke comes home from the bar drunk at 4am in the morning. His wife is sleeping and he tries to sneak into bed. He's laying in bed for a few minutes and let's rip a fart. His wife wakes up and asks, "What in the world was that?" 

He replies, "Touchdown, I'm up 7 nothing." 

She thinks to herself, "I'm gonna fix him." Then she lets one loose. 

He yells at her, "What was that?" 

She replies "Touchdown, tie score." 

Now he thinks, "I'm gonna fix her." He's laying there for about 10 minutes trying to work one up. He tries so hard he craps in bed. 

The wife asks, "Now what in the world was that?" 

He replied, "Half time, switch sides." "

He got some laughs but he was pretty sure everybody knew he got it from the net. Especially Mrs. Coach who was rolling her eyes. He saw Julie whisper something to Lois and they both erupted into a fit of giggles. He looked the other way and saw Buddy Garrity talking to Coach Taylor. And then came a hand gesture for him to join them.

/-/-/ 

"Julie get your ass out of that bed, you are not sick. Stop being a coward and get your ass out of that bed NOW." Eric Taylor wasn't really sure why his daughter was trying to pull a sickie but it didn't matter. She would have to serious hightail it to be ready in time and she would be or else he'd be fixin' to lecture her until kick off.

She rose from the bed with no problems, she really was a big faker. Seeing the time, she raced for the shower, flicking him with her hair as she left him in her wake. He sighed, he thought he was nearly done with all this. Now Gracie was going to put him through the same rubbish. He ran his fingers through his hair, placed a kiss on his wife's cheek and hustled out the door to catch the bus to the Dome.

/-/-/

Julie had had more than enough. Watching Tim play was like torture. It was like he was there but she couldn't touch him because of the distance and all of the bullshit. The Panthers were playing well, Tim had made some amazing tackles but every time he went down she would tense up. It hurt to see him hurt even if he was the biggest dickhead in the entire world. Biggest liar, biggest creep, biggest tease in the whole freaking world. Julie wished she'd kicked him in the 'nads twice! Then he would look up at her from the field and her heart would melt a touch and she would wish that he hadn't been a stupid jackass. He bet on her virginity for Christ's sakes and he wanted her to be forgiving? 

Julie looked down at him for the stadium seating and examined his ass. No matter how divine that ass was she was not going to give in and besides it wasn't like she was invested in him emotionally. She could turn it on and off like guys. She hadn't invested in any kind of relationship with him at all. She sighed, she was lying to herself. Of course she had emotionally invested and that's why she was pissed off. She maybe loved him and he was using her as some sort of game and now her father was forcing her to watch him. Her chest hurt being here was more than she could bear. She made apologies to her mom and hurried out of the row, up the aisle, out of the wing and out into the car park. When she was out she realised she could finally breathe.

/-/-/

Tim saw her get up and leave, like she was seemingly uninterested. He'd just played an amazing play, which led to a touchdown... and she was uninterested. 

Girls were weird.

But this really pissed him off. He through the ball towards Smash, threw off his helmet and ran.

/-/-/

Jules was in the car park, her butt resting on someone else's car. She heard a confused roar from the stadium and her interest peaked but not enough to re-enter the stadium. Distance was better. Distance was oxygen and life. Her heart eased in her chest and she breathed in deeply, smelling hot dogs and that odious scent of football fans, blech. She sat there examining the patterns on her Chuck Taylor's and tried to ignore that the biggest game of her dad's life was being played out and she wasn't there. She stood arguing with herself, she should go back in for her dad but Tim was there. She rose and sank several times before she realised that her father was more important that a boy. Even if she had thought that he was _the_ boy and been mistaken.

/-/-/

Julie was sitting on a strange Chevy and obviously deliberating something when he ran out of the stadium. It had taken him awhile to find her, especially as many officials had tried to bar him from exiting the field. Thank goodness for the stoners eating nachos near the exit or else he would have had no idea where she went.

"Dude, that blonde chick was freaking hot man. Tap that," the stoner had dissolved into giggles while his mate had pointed out her direction. Tim resisted the urge to make a stop and beat his ass. He kept running, surprised at the amount of energy flowing through him and that she was worth running out of the most important game of his life.

"Julie," he gasped, the exertion of the game and his departure taking its toll on his lungs. "Julie." She looked at him, her eyes so sad that he wanted to hug her.

"What do you want Tim?" having asked that question it had obviously occurred to her that he was supposed to be playing. She performed one of those double takes that Tim always saw at the movies. "Tim," she gasped. "What are you doing? Get back in there." She started pushing him 

towards the stadium, short shoves that really didn't succeed as he was planting his weight. She kept shoving, determined to get him back in the game. He smiled, she really was one determined little filly.

"Jules, just wait up for a moment." She ignored him and kept pushing so he had to grab her arms to steady her, to have her look at his face. 

"Tim, that's a State Championship game," she whispered, unsure of why he'd run out for her.

"I know but you wouldn't give me any time and I needed to take my shot. This is more important than the game, _you_ are more important than that game." She looked at him with wide eyed shock.

"But ... but college Tim, recruiters." He shook his head. Her face turned from one of shock to anger. "You bet on me Tim, you bet on my virginity. You played me for a fool," she was accusatory and completely right.

"I am so sorry Jules. It started out bad I know but I wanted out pretty much from the beginning. I know you now, I didn't before. " she looked at him, her face frozen unbelievingly.

"It was okay before because you didn't know me?" she asked and he felt his legs getting sucked down into the quick sand. "Is that the kind of person you are Tim? " She stood straight in front of him her gaze unmoving, refusing him to escape her judgement as he sorely wanted to.

"Well yeah...I was. But Julie you've made me want more for myself, to be more. And I want you." The sincerity in his voice shocked him, not that he didn't mean every word but he'd never heard himself say those kinds of things before in that tone. Her eyes were locked on his, moving back and forth assessing his truthfulness. He hated that he no longer had her implicit trust. "I want us,"

"And I am not sure I want an us when you are part of the deal." She turned around towards the family car, climbed in, started the engine and drove away without a glance bad. So this is how it feels, Tim thought, to have your heart ripped out of your chest. Isn't the grand declaration supposed to score the girl? That's how it works in the movies, why not for him? Because he didn't deserve her. He pushed the pain down and stormed back into the stadium, he needed to vent.

/-/-/

Julie fumed in the car. She couldn't deny the honesty in his words or on his face but she was finding it difficult to move on from the freaking bet. _She changed him?_ She snorted, please he wanted her to think she'd changed him? But then he had been a little different. Nope she wasn't backing down even though she believed every word he said. Then why was she driving away? She looked in the rear vision mirror and saw the stadium become smaller and smaller. Who was she punishing here? Tim or herself? She sighed and swung the car around in a very erratic 360, the bastard had her heart!

/-/-/

The Dillon Panthers strode to victory surprisingly easy, their opposition wasn't ready for the intensity that the fullback brought back to the field after his surprise departure. The fullback was on a roll and the crowd was on their feet for the rest of the game. Like Tim had said in that interview last season, he just liked to hurt people and today that truly worked for him. 

She wasn't there. He'd won another state championship and she wasn't there to celebrate it with him. He let the sadness wash over him, the violence of the game was gone and he was left with the certainty that she would never be his. 

This time last year she had been busy snogging Matt on the turf completely in love. Now she had run away from the game because he repelled her. Nice Tim, great work. It was sad to see all the players celebrating with their parents and girlfriends, he had no one. There was a tap on his shoulder and he moved around slowly, it wasn't going to be who he wanted it to be.

"So these are my conditions. No sex until I trust you and that could be a real long time. Maybe never." She was here, when? How? What was going on? "No sex, you have to get permission from my father to date me and there are no second chances." She locked his gaze. It was a statement. He really didn't know what to make of it but he really couldn't see Jules as the forever celibate type. He sighed, she might not realise it now but this was his second chance.

"Anything, anything you want Jules," he readily agreed. "Nice game huh?" he asked grinning cheekily. The corner of her mouth wobbled like she was trying to keep a smile contained. 

"Yeah it was alright," she conceded, he dropped his helmet grabbed her around the waist and hauled her up towards him. Her feet were off the ground but her stomach was nestled against his chest. He moved her gaze up and captured her lips with his own. She remained an immovable object for a few seconds and then sighed into his mouth, greedily kissing him like a drowning women. He slowly lowered her so her body slid against his own and her feet came to a rest atop his own. They were impervious to the stares of fans, teammates and the Coach alike. It was the two of them against the world. They were now an us.

**AN – If we get lots of reviews we may have an epilogue read y to go! (I know shameless attempt to get more momentum for this story.)**


	13. Epilogue

**Epilogue **

Lyla felt complete lying next to Tyra. It was an odd relationship at best.

Tyra strung her fingers through Lyla's, and they kissed. It was morning and they couldn't be late for their plans they had later. As their mouths breathlessly connected, Lyla couldn't help but feel like she was on pay per view porno. It felt good.

"We have to go," Lyla giggled. They immediately got dressed, racing for the door and into Lyla's car, they were at Tyra's place. Though, soon it would be both of theirs. They were twenty eight and about to be married in Canada. That's where they were going.

They stopped along the way to pick up their witnesses, the only people in all of Texas who really understood them. Tim and Julie.

Lyla couldn't help but wonder what her life would have been like if it was Smash who she was eloping with, and was happy for a moment it wasn't. And then she was deathly happy she was with someone who didn't make fun of her unnaturally high voice ("It sounds like you just OD ed on helium") and that college experimentation worked out for the best.

Tim got in the back seat, and a very pregnant Julie took Tyra's place in the front. It was an easy drive to Niagara Falls, the only place on the continent where gay marriage was legal-Canada. They had their passports ready and crossed the border the next day.

Tim and Julie watched the ceremony, tears came to Julie's eyes. They say love conquers all. And she really believed that, I mean she was married to a man who she met on the terms of lost virginity.

In the past ten years, Julie had become best friends with Lyla which she knew was an odd relationship. They weirdly enjoyed each others company and Julie was the one their when Smash broke up with her, when Lyla discovered she was a lesbian, and when Tyra fell in love with her.

Lyla was there when Tim and her broke up, well every time, and there when they got back together. She was there when Julie delivered her first baby, Tim, her beautiful husband, and unfortunately missed it. Lyla was there when Tami was diagnosed with cancer, and when she beat it. Lyla was always there for her, and vice versa.

Tim watched the ceremony and couldn't look away. He saw the tears in her eyes, happy her two best friends were happy.

Tim thought that Lyla and Julie had a weird relationship, and his best friend continued to be Jason Street. Why fix what isn't broken?

When in their room, Tim laughed and said, "Who would have expected them?"

Julie just smiled, "Who would have expected us?"

**AN – Lilly and I would like to thank you all for your patience in waiting for remaining parts of this story. It has been an interesting ride that involved discussing a hook up between Julie and Smash, killing Smash and Lyla (separately) and Lily's elopement. Some tangents, hundreds of emails back and forth and thirteen written parts later we finally done. Thanks to all who read and reviewed. A big thanks to my co-author, Lily, who I consider to be a gem and a true friend (even if she is a Canadian).**


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